April 25, 2013

The round ends, and now everyone is just holding an end of rope, with no knot to keep their hand from slipping. All except Cochran, who is sitting pretty with two knots to spare. Will he have to move down as the challenge progresses? We don’t find out because Sherri is out, then Malcolm loses balance, then Andrea can’t hold on. “Mother, this is hard!” yells Dawn. I think Dawn is missing a word there, but she is too polite to say it. “Eddie, you’ve been through tougher, brother,” says Probst who can’t wait to bro down after the show. “Oh, mother!” screams Dawn. My sentiments exactly.

Reynold starts to slip, and then he is out. Dawn encourages Cochran, who says, “I’m trying...” and would probably be doing better without the nervous woman over his shoulder distracting him. Eddie has a blurred mouth and then his hand slides down the rope and he is out. Cochran wins immunity for the second time and he runs over to Probst with his now trademark victory jog. Not as many people are cheerful this time and someone is going home tonight.

The castaways arrive back at camp and it’s time for a triumphant interview from Cochran. “I am the greatest challenge competitor in Survivor: Caramoan,” he declares. “There’s no debate, if you look at the scoreboard. I have won half of the individual immunities.” He says this is a big turnaround from his first season where he was screamed at for sucking at challenges and being a weakling, but “now I am the biggest challenge threat in this game. I don’t care if it makes me a threat, I’m just going to keep winning”. I realize he is partly mocking interviews by real challenge monsters, but he is sounding less and less self-aware. Don’t start believing your own publicity, Cochran.

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Malcolm gets an interview about how idols drive you crazy, and how it’s not really fair that he found two idols without clues, but now he has a clue that he paid $480 for and he can’t get near the idol. Why doesn’t he just say “hey, I’ve got to go have another of those lame interviews” as his cover story. Anyway, even though he doesn’t have the idol, he tells Reynold and Eddie that the others need to think he is playing it. “Did you get it?” asks Eddie. Duh, no. Malcolm says that if the alliance formerly known as Stealth R Us split the vote, they only need one person – Sherri – to flip.

Malcolm and Sherri have their talk and Malcolm basically tells Sherri that she is his only option. He tells her that he has the idol – and she doesn’t ask to see it. He reassures her that if Erik is with them now, he is out at five. Who are we voting for? Andrea. He pinkie-swears on it.

Anyway, in interview – actually, I think it’s the same Sherri interview as before, just a different part of it – Sherri has completely flipped on her “muscle-men are going to dominate” theory because Cochran won the challenge today.